Lance Allan: Sports Glance with Lance
Kids, Get Healthy!
Milwaukee's Lakefront Marathon Aims to Do That
The organizers of the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon are trying to encourage kids to seek healthy lifestyles by getting active and running their own special marathon this summer.
According to Kristine Hinrichs, race director for the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, “The ‘Kids Run’ is a special a non-competitive marathon race that was created by the organizers of the annual Lakefront Marathon to specifically promote physical activity for kids ages 5-14, and to also hopefully foster a love of running by having them run a marathon (26.2 miles) a little bit at a time.”
To participate children must commit to running 25 miles prior to Friday, September 30, pay a $5 entry fee and complete the run’s registration form at http://www.milwaukeelakefrontmarathon.org/lakefront/RaceDay/LakefrontMarathonKidsRun2011.
Upon acceptance into the “Kids Run”, each child will receives a training t-shirt and logbook where they and their parent, teacher or coach need to input the portions of the 25 mile run that they complete in either 1/4 mile, ½ mile, ¾ mile or 1 mile increments.
Then, on Saturday, October 1, 2011, all “Kids Run” participants will be required to turn in their completed logbooks prior to finishing the last 1.2 miles of the marathon together on the actual Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon race course at 3 p.m. They will be crossing the same finish line as Lakefront Marathon participants. One parent or guardian will be allowed to accompany each child. Upon completion of the full marathon, every “Kids Run” participant will receive a 2011 Lakefront Marathon Kids Run medal, cinch sack, and finish line T-shirt.
“We’re really hopeful that this program will help to educate our local youth about the importance of good health and being active,” adds Hinrichs. “We’d really like to see it have a positive impact on many families in Greater Milwaukee.”
The “Kids Run” is being sponsored by Body Basix.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 17 percent of children and adolescents, ages 2-19, are obese in the United State, and since 1980, these obesity rates have tripled in children. One in 7 low-income, preschool-aged children is obese, and there are significant racial and ethnic disparities in obesity prevalence among US children and adolescents. In 2007—2008, Hispanic boys, ages 2 to 19 years, were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white boys, and non-Hispanic African American girls were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic Caucasian girls.
Questions regarding the Kids Run can be directed to kidsrunlakefrontmarathon@yahoo.com
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